Walking The Dog with Emily Dean - Will Best (Part Two)

Episode Date: April 9, 2025

We’re on a walk with Will Best and Sandwich the Tibetan Terrier! Will tells us all about his early television career and how his life changed completely after he got the call to present Big Brother. He tells us what the show means to him and the pressure that comes with hosting it! We find out how Will processes embarrassing moments, how it feels to be judged by the number of followers you have on social media and we discuss the dark secret that owners of fluffy long haired dogs never talk about… You can watch the new series of Celebrity Big Brother from Sunday - Friday at 9pm on ITV1 and ITVX!Follow Emily: Instagram - @emilyrebeccadeanX - @divine_miss_emWalking The Dog is produced by Faye Lawrence - with production support from Dex Roy on this episode.Music: Rich Jarman Artwork: Alice LudlamPhotography: Karla Gowlett  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to Part 2 of Walking the Dog with the wonderful Will Best and Sandwich. Do go back and listen to Part 1 if you haven't already and do make sure to catch Will hosting Celebrity Big Brother every night, excluding Saturdays at 9pm on ITV1 and ITVX. I'd also love it if you gave us a like and a follow so you can catch us every week. Here's Will and sandwich and Ray Ray. You did all sorts of shows, didn't you? There was an offshoot of MTV that you worked on. But T4 was huge when you got that.

Well, so what, yes, when I kind of started on T4, T4 was, you know, that was kind of the main, that was the flagship like youth music show. And over the sort of year and a half that I worked on it, you know, it became less and less popular until it was cancelled. So that was, so in a way, I was unlucky for the other people that, worked on the show. But when you first got that, did you feel, oh my God, I've made it now? I remember when I got the call.

I felt more, yeah, I mean, yes, but I got, I had effectively a trial. So they did this thing, in the summer holidays, they did a kind of, like, you know, some of the presenters had time off. Yeah. So I kind of came in and it was like, we're going to give you August and see how you do.

So it wasn't like, I've got the gig. It was like, I need to do a good job. And it's a miracle that they kept me on because I remember the first day I had to interview Jason Derulo. And we played a game called, Big old Jason. We played a little game called, Is it Trudeau, Jason Derulo? Now, now that would have a different meaning because obviously Justin Trudeau, you know, like showing in pictures of, is that Justin Trudeau, Jason DeRullo, is a different game. This was like something to do with like a true or false kind of game, right? And I had the idea, and because I was new, and I think they just thought, you go on, we'll let him have his little addition. I had an idea to add in like another

element where it was like, would you give your last Jason de Rolo? Because within, there used to be an advert for Rolos, where you would give your last Rolo. I don't even know if that advert was still on the telly, but I thought this was going to be... I think it's probably stopped being on the telly in about 1980. I think you're probably right. But I thought Jason Derulo, that famous young American pop star, I was gonna fucking love this. And I said, so, would you give them your last Jason Dorolo?

And he said, my last Jason de what now? And I was like, your last de rollo? He was like, my Rolex? I was like, no, no. And then I had to spend 10 minutes, explaining what Rolos were and then explaining the premise of these old adverts, it was a complete disaster. But they let me... How do you feel when you get moments like that and let's face it, we've all had them? Yeah. How do you process that stuff? Do you go home and go,

oh, and lie on the floor? No, I tell everyone I've ever met. Yeah. This, this embarrassing thing happened. Is that your therapy for it? Yeah, 100%. And then it's, and then it's, if it's an anecdote, I've got something out of it. Right. So you alchemize it into comedy? Yeah. My, my, my, my, my, My fiancé is like stuff will happen and she's like, please can this just not be just another one of your fucking anecdotes. And I'm like, I'm sorry, it has to be. Otherwise I'll go insane and get depressed.

Yeah. But I've started working on radio. And so basically all of our private secrets and are going to be aired because I'll, I'll feel obliged to. You know? That goes with the territory, doesn't it? I think so.

And you, well, the biggest call, some might argue, that you got of your career, was obviously the Big Brother call. That is, it is by far the biggest call. And you know how I'd said, you know, I was racking up debt? That was mainly just before Big Brother. So COVID wiped out like 100% of my work. Because at the time, I was sort of, you know, you just sort of fall into whatever groove presents itself in Telly. and I was working on international productions of music festivals and stuff for Red Bull.

And all of that was obviously cancelled, 100%. And I sort of didn't really do any telework for a few years. And then I'd, a couple of years. And then I had pivoted into like directing and producing and that kind of stuff. So I was making a show for the BBC with Ali Plum, the film critic. But that's interesting. That's the old, that's the work ethic, isn't it? That's the best work ethic that you're saying with your dad

that you're not just sitting there waiting for the phone to ring. Well, it was also the I need to pay off the loan I've got. And were you seriously worried about money, well? Yeah, big time. And I had this business, I've got a business outside of telly. We make Bloody Mary's in cans. Yes, I've heard about this. I can't wait to try that.

Oh my God, I didn't bring an eat. I'm an idiot. Well, do you know, I'm virtually teetotal. Well, we've got Virgin Mary's. Shut up. We've got Virgin Mary's. I will send you some. No, no, no, no, no, no, whoa.

I'm not a freebie chaser. Listen, I would never assume you were, but that's why I feel more comfortable giving, because I feel like you wouldn't expect. No wonder you're in debt, mate. Yeah, yeah. Do you want any money, by the way? Do you want any cash? I've got...

Don't spend that big brother cash. It's just going in. It's not what it used to be. What's the company called it? It's bloody. Bloody, just bloody. I love that you set up this business. Did you spend a lot of money investing in it?

A bit. A bit, but it was more that I spent a lot of time on it. So, like, you know, it's opportunity costs. You know, part of the reasons why when COVID hit and work kind of dried up, it didn't recover, really, was because I just didn't chase anything. You know, you've got to be proactive, you've got to be constantly reminding people that you exist and that you're available, but not too available. But I didn't do any of that.

I just focused 100% on this business. And then suddenly it was like, okay, I've been paying myself $1,500 a month, which is less than my mortgage. So I need to do other stuff. And that was why I, and I'd always wanted to, and I still do want to, like, direct and write. So I thought, you know what? Maybe it's time to pivot. So I started throwing myself into that. And then Big Brother came along.

But this feels like... Come on, luck. You can't deny that. The timing, the... That's what it is. Sandwich! Come! Do you know what?

Sandwich has just got... Some wild birds won't be tamed. He's an absolute free spirit. He's a free spirit. He's a carry brachore of the dog wall. He really is. He's no Charlotte. Yeah, no.

No, God know. So... I think he's more of Samantha, of anything. Give a sit. I mean, that's such a Samantha thing to say. Sit. Good boy, there you go. He is affectionate in the flat.

Can I have a cuckles, sandwich? Oh yeah, he wants to a tickle. You good boy. Can I just ask one quick important dog question? Yeah. Because I couldn't help noticing the hair around Raymond's bum. Yeah, it's a problem with it. Oh, boy.

If sandwich has a runny tummy. Yeah. Oh. Will, you're the first first one. spoken to who understands. I have to carry baby wipes in my bag all the time. But he's the least he's little. And you could clean him, you know, sandwiches. Do you know, it's the thing that none of us with the fluffy long-head dogs, we never talk of it. It's like how the menopause was, you know, up until two years ago.

It was a thing everyone knew, but we didn't ever discuss in polite company. Now, I'm not going to shut up about it. Oh, it's because I think it's important to share. And he... Silence is violence. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Also, sometimes you have to, like, talk about it because you can smell it. It's awful.

And people see me, like, perched on the floor with baby wipes covered in brown. Thinking, what's that woman doing? It's a nightmare, but you know what? Is he allowed on the bed? Yeah. See, sandwiches allowed on the bed because we live in a very, we basically live in a studio flat. So, Sam, you know, it's a lot of real estate to deny him. But you're not always totally sure how clean his bum is.

To be honest, I could say that of a lot of men I've been moved. So it's no change. In fact, you could be more sure how clean, because at least you've cleaned it. So unless you started, sorry, I'm going to have to just give you a wipe down before. At least I know where Raymond's asses be. Yeah. And I've gone past 40, so, I mean, it's not exactly, I mean, there's hair involved for me back there. Oh, dear.

So Will, the Big Brother, that call, it wasn't a call because of course I'm dressing this up like some Hollywood movie. It was it. It was cool. And I was filming with, I was in a car driving between locations for this show I was making with Ali Plum. And there was like, yeah, all crew in the car, like all jammed in with kit and everything. And I had to pretend, you know, that I hadn't received any news. Because you had to be quiet about it. Yeah. But I, all I said, I just kept muttering swear words.

What did your agent say? You've got the job? Yeah, you've got the job. I couldn't believe it. I just kept muttering swear words and saying, extraordinary. Extraordinary. I became an even posher. And for 24, honestly, for like a week, I just kept just saying the word extraordinary to myself. It was, I couldn't, I couldn't get my head around it. And then when I got off the phone, they were like, Is everything all wrong? Like, they thought I'd had really bad news.

And I was like, oh, yeah, everything's fine. And they were like, but what's happened? I was like, oh, my dog was, he's done something. Couldn't really. But yeah, it was, it was, it was a, it was a shock to the old system. And you'd presumably been a fan of the show like all of this. No, no, hey, hey, pup, pup. Sandwich?

No, no, sandwich. Hey, pup, pup. Sandwich is eating my producer's bag. Stop it. He's, I think he might have. There's a cookie in it. Pop-pop, come here, mate. Come here, come here, sandwich.

Come on, come on, hey, pop-pop. Sandwich is like, you know, there'd be a whole Disney film made about sandwich. Sit, sit, pour, eh? And I can see the dad going sandwich. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Like Beethoven. Yes. Well, I want to do a range of children's books called Sandwich Bums, where he has different adventures.

Oh, okay, as long as you, will you have the baby wipes free with it? Yeah, it's They're very messy adventures I love you so much For the best doggy You've watched it for a long time Big Brother, like all of us But obviously there's pressure

That comes with a gig like that isn't it Yeah, yeah, yeah no definitely And there was and it was You know, there was obviously a lot of people When it was announced It was us doing it Who were absolutely outraged That they'd chosen

They'd chosen us Were there? What did they say? Oh, they wanted it to be... Well, they obviously wanted it to be Davina. Right. And they wanted it to be Emma. And they wanted it to be Rylan.

And they wanted it to be all the people who had already worked on Big Brother. Right. But that was fine. I mean, that's 100% to be... Well, it's to be expected. Are you quite good at shrugging off stuff like that? I take it personally.

I take it deeply, deeply personally. But I try and... I pretend to not be affected. I bottle it up. That's good, isn't it? they say. No, but you know what? It's not good in some ways, but then I think also there is an argument for fake it till you make it.

And I sometimes think it can work, Will, that, you know, like if somebody upsets you or you're annoyed about something and you think, I'm going to experiment with not telling anyone about this today. I'm going to see what it feels like. And then if it's still bothering me tomorrow, fine. That's good. Is this a technique that you've been... I started it recently.

Have you sort of been told about this, or did you invent this? No, I invented it for myself, but I did it the other day and there was something that had bothered me during the day and then I thought just to do with a neighbour I won't go into the too much. There was something that bothered me in the day and I thought I'm going out to dinner with my best friend and a husband and my gold kids and my immediate response is I tell them everything yeah I'm going to experiment with not bringing that energy into this conversation interesting and you know what the next day I was less worried about it that's good so I'm wondering with the big brother thing if somehow that might have been a helpful thing to do that might have been a helpful thing to

to not over... Yeah. To honest, I didn't really sort of talk to people about it because it's sort of a bit embarrassing to say. You know, in terms of the context, like, oh, you know, loads of people online really wish it wasn't me. Turns out, loads of people online hate me. It's a difficult conversation starter. So I did sort of internalise it a bit.

I mean, there are things that have happened since on the show that I might talk about a bit where, you know, people direct their anger about, you know, how one housemate has spoken to another housemate, say they might direct their anger at that at AJ and I. Yeah. Or, you know, or a decision made by the channel or whatever that's massively nothing to do with us or outside of a control. They kind of direct that stuff at us.

And that's, but I kind of don't mind that because it's sort of part of the job. Yeah. And that's fine. Like, you know, when it's something that's so clearly not anything to do with us, you know, I don't really mind. But no, I'm definitely thin-skinned. And I think I probably always will be. But again, I think if you work in this industry, you probably are. I think so.

And then all you says they don't give a shit is lying. Do you not believe them? I don't believe them either. But I'm terrible at social media, you know. I mean, the best thing... Well, some people don't you know, leave me. Mac, he refuses to go on it. Well, you see, he's lucky because he's

famous enough and successful enough. I am judged by my lack of followers. Massively. Because I've only got 60 odd thousand. And that's because I just don't, I mean, one of the reasons is because I just have never been

a consistent poster. I hate it. Do you feel exposed a bit every time you post? I think so. I think it's, I just think I'm just not native to it. And I think I'm too of a perfectionist and I think the reason why I like doing what I do is that I'm probably inherently a show off but if I but I only do that or kind of succumb to that side of my personality as part of a TV show where this is what we're all

supposed to be doing I'm just the end prop end part of a long process that has involved an entire team and blah blah and now I'm doing this thing whereas when it's just like I'm going to talk to my camera I'm going to just be sandwich then then somehow that feels more exposing like you say and more like oh look at me but this is completely in my own head this is just like get over it just post stuff stopping absolutely i know what you mean though because i i understand that perfectionism thing that i sort of think i feel uncomfortable about putting shitty content out into the world yeah and i like the idea you're right if i'm doing a show it's being i've got professionals editing it and making sure it's good yeah yeah yeah

then I feel, well, that's okay, I'm proud of that. Yeah, and your place in it is, you know, you haven't said hello world, look at me. Because you're working on a show that isn't necessarily just about you. Yeah. You know? No, I understand that. But I need to just, I just need to get over that and just start posting and stop overthinking things. Well, although I don't know.

I think it maybe makes you be a nicer person. Or less narcissistic, maybe. Maybe. Probably just more, even more insecure. I think, yeah. Well. I would love to not have it. Yeah.

You know, if I could just get rid of it. Oh, wow. Isn't that amazing? There's a, oh, it's got wheels. Do you want to say what we've just seen here? Yeah, we've just seen a dog with wheels for back legs. He's on a little harness. He's on a little, he's like a little one pooch chariot.

So Big Brother, what was interesting is obviously, like most people, I was a huge fan when it started, like most people of my age. And it was the era when, you know, the novelty initially. Yes. Of just like, oh my God, this is the Truman Show. Yeah. You know, we're watching people through the night and just watching people make tea. Yeah. And now that that novelty is worn off, I presume they're having to sort of raise a show.

having to sort of raise the stakes a bit with the show and make, you know, I mean, I still watch it and I love it. And I think you and AJ are so great together by the way. Because it feels, if I'm honest, what I like about it now is that I suppose it feels slightly warmer now. You know what? That is, I think that is true. And I think at the start, it was sort of neither warm nor edgy because it was it was dressed up very. very much as a social experiment. It was kind of scientific. When you watch clips of it back, they sort of slept on kind of like camp beds. And it was all like, you know,

you'd imagine somebody with white lab coats kind of like peering through glass. It then did become maybe a bit more sensationalist, maybe. And, you know, there was more kind of, there was more to stoke up drama. And now it does, it does feel more. We want to have, you get the drama already.

Like the format is going to give you conflict. It always will. But what's also nice is to bring out the moments when they're actually kind of having fun and being silly. Do you know what I mean? It's trying to get as much light and shade as you can. Or those moments that sit somewhere in between, like, obviously I'm going to mention the classics,

something like David's Dead was a classic example of how, because it was a genuine misunderstanding, got out of control, it didn't start from a place of malice. It started from a place of confusion. Yes. And to me, that's what it felt okay to laugh at it. It's one of the great telly moments. But you know what's...

I celebrate the anniversary of you at David's Dead. You should do. You should do. But so you know how that kind of... How that story really ended. So David's Dead happened. One of the great TV moments of all time, right? T-shirts were made.

I can't remember whether it was David or Tiffany who made the T-shirts, but either way, T-shirts were really with David's dead, right? Then David, he organized a tour with a gospel choir, like a soul tour, right, called the David's Not Dead tour. And he was about to start that tour when he died. But then the tour happened.

anyway. David's dead? So, so somebody said David's dead when he wasn't dead, which became an iconic moment that spawned a tour called David's Not Dead, which only started when David was actually dead. Oh, David. It's an extra... I liked it, and my favourite was when John Partridge comes in with the towel. Oh, yes. And he goes, she means the other David. It's the other David love. Yeah. It's like everyone's part in that. It's so brilliant. Yeah. The other David. And Daniela Westbrook.

She's got the wrong David. All of them have. I can watch them many a time. Great. So basically, I notice when I watch Celebrity Big Brother, which I love the last series. Which is starting again.

It's this week it stars. Yeah. Yeah. Gosh, nerve-wracking. So. So. I don't like this Will. A creepy French man.

The creepy French guy. Ah, May we. I like Tadcastle will. Very well. son of a man in the charity sector. No, no, no, no. This is what I'm talking about. Who's this Mr. Big French creep?

Ah, Avec. It really is one of my favourite. I get really excited when it starts, Will. And when I keep seeing the trailers up with you and AJ, like, join us, the clothes were always so on point. Oh, well, that's very, very kind of, you say, my fiancé. My fiancé. Sorry, it's French Will again. She is my stylist.

But she is also a professional stylist. That is literally her, you know, she was a stylist when I met her in 2000. 2011. So she works for brands now. She like does fashion, fashion. She's got a passion for fashion. How long have you been with her? We met in 2011. Oh, do you know, I love that. No, we met on the 4th of March, 2011 in the smoking area of a warehouse rave. But you know what? I love a pre-fame relationship. I do we broke up for a bit

yeah but that's sometimes that happened did you yeah didn't see her was like just no no contact and then we bumped into each other again when we were both single is that quite nice in some ways well

in a way it's quite reassuring it was really nice I knew she liked me before I was on telly oh yeah but I don't think and this isn't me being self-deprecating I don't think anyone would like me because I'm on telly. Because either they haven't seen me on telly,

which, you know, not as many people watch telly as they used to, so they haven't seen me on telly so they wouldn't give a shit. Or they have seen me on telly, which would probably mean they don't fancy me. No, no, because of the silly thing. You know, they kind of, do you know what I mean? It's not, my on-screen persona isn't like sexy guy. No, but that's double points these days. Oh, is it?

Yeah. Oh, is it? Yeah. Come on, you've seen some ugly comedians. Ugly ass comedians getting gorgeous women. Being ugly and silly. No offence to any of my friends who I love all of them. When you do Celebrity Big Brother, the last series,

I mean, when, was that last series when it was Sharon Osbourne, Louis Balls? Yes, yes, yes. And there's some amazing revelations in there and some fabulous moments. What I'm interested to know is when you're interviewing the celebrities, you know, the post-show interviews. Yeah. are you sort of thinking in a way well look you're getting paid shitloads for this

and you're used to this you know the game yeah you're not as vulnerable yes I mean yeah definitely does it what I'm saying is do you feel you're able to go in a little bit harder on them yes yes 100% because sometimes we've interviewed people when they come out of the civilian one and didn't really happen so much this time But the first series, it was one especially, this guy came out and he got, you know, heavily booed by 500 people who were there.

And the volume, like the crowd is so loud. Just the way the set was, the sound would just bounce off these high walls and it was a real cauldron. And I immediately was like, poor guy. So I definitely had in my mind when I was interviewing him, this guy's just been like booed. by what sounds like 100,000 people live on telly, I'm gonna be, you know, that was definitely in my mind. But also he hadn't really done anything. That was quite interesting to you

because after I was getting messages from people saying, you were way too easy on that guy, you should have absolutely nailed, you know, Emma Willis would have absolutely nailed that C-O-N-T to the wall, like all this kind of stuff. But actually he hadn't done anything specific that you could be like, why did you behave like that? Why did you do that?

Why did you treat that person like that? He just wasn't particularly likable in comparison to some of the others. You know, he'd like had an argument with somebody, but they were kind of in the wrong as well. Do you know what I mean? So then you have to be careful of walking that line because it can very, oh, the woodland was wrong. It can very easily turn into a slight, you know, John Ronson,

so you've been publicly shame where you're just having a slight needless pile on because of public opinion, which is why you have to judge that, don't you? I think the key thing is, We ask the questions that we know people want answers to. And you did. I thought Eken Sue, you held her to account. Yeah, we hold people to account if there are specific things that you can build a question around.

And you can, but you're doing it as much for them to give their side of the story direct to us and the viewers. you know, with the kind of clarity of a bit of distance between that specific, like, whatever it is that they've sort of done in inverted commas. And so you're kind of giving them an opportunity to, you know, apologize or whatever it is. It's not about just saying to somebody, why you're such a dick. Yeah. But also there's two of us.

Yes. So I think you have to be a little bit conscious of that as well. because it can feel like you're ganging up. But... Do you get nervous still, Will, doing live TV? Doing those launch nights. There must be a bigger darling roughs. Yeah.

I get nervous about everything, though. Do you? Yeah. Are you quite a nervy, anxious person? Yeah, big time. Big time. Yeah, no, I get very... Like, whenever I get a new, like, anything comes in,

so like on Thursday, me and AJ are doing a sort of corporate thing together or whatever, and I got the call for that. And my first instinct is like, oh God, Like any new job. You know what I mean? But I mean then it's like, oh no, but it's going to be great. I'll hang out with AJ. It's going to be really nice.

And then this morning, I'm doing this morning on Wednesday. And again, when they, oh no, also on Thursday. And as soon as I get the text from my agent and my first instinct is, oh God. But then it's like, but now I'm going to enjoy it. And I always, you know, I love my job. But it's weird that every new bit of work is sort of greeted by a slight, like feeling of shit. Do you find that? 100%.

And it's the first time anyone's ever articulated that, that I think, and I don't know if everyone has it, but when I get an opportunity, exactly, something comes through, like presenting this thing. I remember it was something that I was interviewing Graham Norton, promoting his book on tour. And that's a dream.

I'd love to interview Graham Norton and what an honour. Yeah. On stage in front of all these people. But your first feeling is shit. I tell you, exactly like you, I felt, oh God, why has he asked me? Yeah, yeah. Honestly, it's like, and there's always like a tiny bit

It's like, no, actually. I'm not going to do that. And then I'm so, I feel on a high afterwards. Oh, yeah, it's literally the best. Why would like that well? I don't know. I think it's maybe we're just, I think it would honestly be odd if you weren't. But a lot of people aren't.

Well, they're just like, great. I'm going to absolutely smash this one. I think, I just, I don't know. I think. I don't think everyone does feel like that. But you know what? The fact that you feel like that really reassures me. Oh, good.

And I'm thoroughly convinced you are honestly such a lovely person. Oh no. Well, this is a facade. Do you know what? I'm going to force you to take that compliment. Oh, well, it's so he is. It's an honour to meet you and a real pleasure. I mean, mainly, it's been an honour to meet his royal highness, the imperial. Does that mean he's actually an emperor? It's kind of an imperial thing. Do you know, we don't like to talk about his title. It makes others feel awkward. Sorry, Sandwich. Sandwich is just a monk, a lowly monk.

The commonal garden. Yeah. Sandwich, we've loved meeting you. Will, well, listen, I'm going to be tuning into Big Brother. Thank you. And I'm going to be tuning into even more avidly now that my new friend, whether you like it or not, is on it. Sandwich. Yeah, he's not going to be on it. I love to meet you.

Thanks for asking me to do this. It's so lovely. And it was great to give Sandwich another little friend. You're the best dog in the world, nearly. Yeah, second best. Will you say goodbye? Bye, Raymond. Mw.

M-a. Fras. I don't know. Stop this fucking weird French thing. Bye. I really hope you enjoyed that episode of Walking the Dog. We'd love it if you subscribed and do join us next time on Walking the Dog wherever you get your podcasts.